dodgon



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. H. E. DODSON-7' SBBDING MACHINE.

No. 558,363: PatntedApr. 14, 1896.

ANDREW B GRAHA PHOTO-Unit! WASHINGTON DC (No Model.)

- I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. H-. E; DODSON.

SEEDING MACHINE.

$10,558,363. Patented Apr. 14,1896.

.mmm;

ANDREW B snmmyuuTo-mno WASNINGTONDC UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY E. DODSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR o THE P. P. MAST a coMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SEEDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,363, dated April 14, 18 96.

Application filed July 18, 1895. "Serial No. 556,309. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: 7 a detail view of the main axle and clutch Be it known that I, HARRY E. DQDSON, a mechanism in section. citizenoftheUnitedStates,residingatSpring There is nothing peculiar about the mafield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, chine generally, and the drawings show so have invented certain new and useful Immuch of an ordinary grain-drill as is necesprovements in Seeding-Machines,0f which the sary to illustrate my several improvements. following is a specification, reference being In the usual ground-wheels, one of which is had therein to the accompanying drawings. shown at A, is mounted the axle B and adapt- This invention relates to certain new'and ed to 'be rotated by the wheels in the usual 10 useful improvements in seeding-machines, manner. A frame 0 is mounted on the axle, especially machines for drilling wheat, oats, and a grain-hopper D is carried by the frame and barley and sowing grass-seed. on standards E, While a grass-seed hopper F The object of the present invention is to is supported by the hopper D. Each of these provide a speed changing or varying 'mechhoppers in practice has any approved type of I 5 anism by which the rotary motion is conductfeed mechanism operated by the respective ed from the axle of the machine to the drivshafts G and H. The shaft H has a sprocketing-shaft of the seeding mechanism, whereby pinion I, driven by a sprocket-chain J, runthe speed of the latter shaft may be varied ning over a tightening-pulley K, adjustably according to the kind of grain to be sown or secured in an arm L, fixed to the cross-beam 2o drilled and according to the quantity that it M-of the main frame. 'The chain J thence is desired to plant per acre. This speedpasses around a driving sprocket-wheel O, changing mechanism consists, essentially, of loosely mounted onthe axle B and having an a series of gear-wheels, each of a different dielongated hub P formed into a bevel-pinion ameter from every other and arranged in a Q, which receives motion from the lower of 25 nest or cone, all of which are so interconnectthe nest or cone gears. An arm R is bifured that rotary motion received by one from cated to fit into a groove S of the hub P and the main axle is transmitted to the others, is adjustably secured, as shown at T, to a and of a shaft geared to the feed-shaft of the bracket U, fastened by a clip V to the crossmachine and carrying a gear-wheel adapted beam M. By adjusting the arm R the bev- 30 to be adjusted to mesh with either of said eled pinion Q is thrown in and out of engage- 8o cone or nest gears to receive rotary motion ment with the'gear-wheel from which it retherefrom at a degree of speed varying with ceives motion, so that the grass-seeder may the diameter of the nest or cone gear with be operated ornot, as desired.

which it is in mesh. Referring now to the change-gear mechan- 3 5 The invention further consists of details ism for imparting the variable speed to the hereinafter fully described. feed-shaft G, it will be seen that I mount on In the accompanying drawings, on which said shaft G an arm 2, to which I attach a like reference letters and numerals indicate plate 3, carrying. an arm 4 at its lower end, corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a partial secoverlapping an arm 5 attached to the rear end 40 tional view and side elevation ofagrain-drill of the bracket U. The arms 4 and 5 are embodying my invention; Fig. 2, detail secclamped together by a bolt 6, carried by the tional and plan views of the coupling for the arm 4 and passing through aslot 7 in the arm hoe-beams; Fig. 3, a sectional and perspective 5 and provided with a hand-nut 8. Thus the view of several of the nest or cone gears; Fig. lower end of the plate 3 is adjustable back 45 4, a rear elevation of the machine and speedand forth, the arm 2 swinging on the shaft 5 changing mechanism; Fig. 5, a side elevation G for this purpose. A driving-shaft 9 is of such mechanism and the adjacent parts of mounted in the arm 4 and in an arm 10, sethe machine, on a larger scale; Fig. 6, a plan cured to the plate 3, and on this shaft is a view of parts of the devices entering into said bevel-pinion 2, meshing with a pinion 1, and

50 mechanismand of a part of the frame, and Fig. a bevel driving-pinion 11, adjustable up and I00 down on the shaft and held by a slide 12 on the plate 3, having a projection 13, bifurcated to fit a groove 14 in this pinion-hub, and provided with a screw 15, adapted to enter either of the series of holes 16 in the plate 3. This plate has three scales indicated thereon, one for barley, one for oats, and one for wheat, and the slide 12 is set by one or the other of these scales, according to whether barley or oats or wheat is being planted, to regulate the quantity which the feed mechanism will feed, such adjustment of the slide 12 also adjusting the pinion 11 to a larger or smaller gear-Wheel of the cone or nest of gears, whereby the speed is varied.

A shaft 17 is mounted in a bracket 18 at one end and at the other end in a step 19 in the bracket U. On this shaft I fix the lower gear-wheel a of the nest or cone of gears, having formed with it a beveled pinion a, which imparts motion to the bevel-pinion Q, before referred to, and which receives motion from a bevel clutch-pinion 20, loosely mounted on the axle B. The remainder of the cone or nest consists of gears b c d 6 g hz'j k, gradually lessening in size, and each provided with a lug b 0, so that rotary motion is imparted from one to the other, the lower gear a being fixed to the shaft 17, and the motion is thus transferred from one gear to the other by the engagement of the lug I) of each gear with a lug c of each gear. The teeth of the respective gears are not always in the same line, because this is not necessary in practice, nor do the peripheries of the several gears all taper to the same degree, as it is found in practice that the pinion 11 will mesh with the gears more satisfactorily when the gears form steps on their periphery, as shown in the drawings. These last two considerations are matters of detail, however. Thus it will be understood that by swinging the shaft 9 to and from the nest of gears and adjusting the pinion 11 up or down it may be made to mesh with one or the other of the gears and to receive a speed agreeing with the size of gear with which it meshes, thus varying the speed imparted to the feed-shaft G. The means for driving these gears consists of the beveled pinion 20, before referred to, and the clutch 21, keyed to rotate with a fixed sleeve 22, but capable of sliding thereon to engage or disengage with the clutch of the pinion 20. A spring 23 maintains the clutch connection, and a lever 24, pivoted to the beam M at 25, engages the flange 26 of the clutch 21 when operated by the projection 27 on the rockshaft 28, which is controlled by a hand-lever 29. An antifriction-roller 30 is carried by the projection 27, and antifriction-rollers 31 are carried by the lever 24. Thus the clutch 21 maybe disengaged from the pinion-clutch 20, so that the. shaft B may or may not rotate the pinion 20 and hence the nest of gears.

It will be seen that the axis of the series of cone of gears and the axis of the driving-shaft are oblique to each other. It will be remembered also that this shaft is adjustable to and from the gears. By placing these axes in an oblique relation as distinguished from a right angle or parallel position additional pinions and an additional shaft are avoided, and the pinion on this driving-shaft is made adjustable to mesh with any of the gear-wheels. Thus directness and simplicity of construction are gained by this relation of said axes, with the resulting economy in cost, reduction in friction, and lessening in the number of the parts subject to wear and breakage.

I will now refer to an improved coupling for connecting the hoe-beams 32 to the draftbar 33. This coupling consists of a yoke 34, fitted against the bar 33, and of a block 35, fitted within the yoke and having edges 30 extending over the yoke at both sides and lapping over the beam 33 and held by a clip 37, whereby a strong but simple coupling is constituted. The hoe-beam is bifurcated at its forward end and pivoted to the yoke 34:. By loosening up the clip 37 the coupling with the beam can be adjusted laterally to any desired point on the bar \Vhile I have shown the lugs b and c as the means for interconnecting or interlocking the several gear-wheels a I) c, it will be understood that any means for transferring the rotary motion from that one of these gearwheels which is operated from the main axle to the others will answer the purpose and be included in the terms interconnecting or interlocking.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a grain-drill, the combination with the main axle and the feed-shaft, of a cone of gears receiving motion from the said axle, and a driving-shaft transmitting motion to said feed-shaft, the axes of the cone and drivingshaft being oblique to each other, the driving-shaft being also adjustable to and from the cone, and. a slidable pinion meshing with the cone and mounted on the driving-shaft.

2. In a grain-drill, the combination with the main axle and the feed-shaft, of intermediate speed mechanism consisting of a series of interconnected gear-wheels graduated in diameter, and receiving motion from the main axle, of a driving-shaft geared to the feedshaft, and a pinion on the driving-shaft, the axes of the interconnecting gears and the driving-shaft being oblique to each other the driving shaft adjustable to and from the gears and the pinion slidable on the shaft, whereby the pinion may mesh with either of said gear-wheels.

3. In a grain-drill, the combination with a feed-shaft and the main axle, a pinion on said axle, a clutch on said axle adapted to clutch said pinion, of intermediate speed mechanism consisting of a nest or series of interconnected graduated gear-wheels, one of which meshes with said pinion, a driving-shaft geared to the feed-shaft and having a swinging adjustment to and from the gear-Wheels, a slidable pinion on the driving-shaft, and means to adjust it into mesh with either of said earwheels.

4. In a grain-drill, the combination with a feed-shaft and the main axle, a pinion thereon, and a clutch to clutch the pinion to the axle, of intermediate speed mechanism consisting of aseries of interconnected graduated gear-Wheels, a pinion on one of them meshing With a pinion on the axle, a driving-shaft hung on an arm at one end and adjustable to and from the axle, and geared to the feedshaft, a slidable pinion on the driving-shaft, and means to adjust and hold it in mesh with either of said gear-Wheels.

5. In a grain-drill, the combination with two feed-shafts and the main axle, two pinions on said axle and a clutch to clutch one of them thereto, of a nest or series of interconnected graduated gear-Wheels, a pinion on one of them meshing With the pinions on said axle, a sprocket-chain connecting one of the latter pinions and one of the feed-shafts, a driving-shaft geared to the other feed-shaft and a slidable pinion on the driving-shaft adapted to mesh With either of said gear- Wheels.

(3. In a grain-drill, a speed-changing mechanism consisting of a series of graduated interconnected gear-Wheels, and a driving-shaft adjustable to and from said gear-Wheels, the axes of the gear-Wheels and the driving-shaft being oblique to each other, and a pinion on said shaft adapted to mesh with either of said gear-Wheels, such adaptability being effected by the double adjustment of the shaft-axis relatively to the gear-Wheels axis and the longitudinal adjustment of the pinion on the driving-shaft.

7. In a grain-drill, the combination With a feed-shaft and the main axle, of a series of interconnected graduated gear-Wheels, a pinion on one of them and a pinion on said axle Which pinions intermesh, a plate hung from said feed-shaft and secured by overlapping adjustable arms, a plurality of scales on said plate, a slide fitted to the plate and adapted to be adjusted to the respective scales, the driving-shaft geared to the feed-shaft and supported by said plate, a slidable pinion on said shaft connected to the slide on the plate and adapted to mesh with either of said gear- Wheels.

8. In a grain-drill, the combination with a feed-shaft having a pinion, a plate hung from said shaft and having adjustable securingarms, a slide on said plate, a driving-shaft supported by said plate and having a pinion meshing with the -feed-shaft pinion, and a slidable pinion connected with said slide, the main axle havinga clutch and pinion thereon, a bracket on said axle, a shaft stepped in said bracket and supported at its other end,a series of graduated interconnected gear-Wheels on said latter shaft with either of Which the slidable pinion may mesh.

9. In a grain-drill, the combination with a shaft, of a series or nest of graduated gearwheels mounted thereon, and lugs on said Wheels each arranged so that all of the gears are thereby interconnected so that rotary motion applied to the first of the series will be transmitted to any of the others.

10. In a grain-drill the combination with the drag-bar and hoe-beam, of a coupling consisting of a yoke fitted to the bar and a block fitted to the yoke, and a clip connecting the block to the bar, the beam being pivoted to the yoke.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

HARRY E. DODSON.

Witnesses:

O. O. KIRKPATRICK, J. W. SPAHR. 

